2012 NFL Mock Draft - Week 14

1. Indianapolis Colts - QB Andrew Luck, Stanford. Luck to the Colts has been discussed ad nauseam recently. I won't go into it any further. The fact is that Luck will be the number one pick, whether the Colts take him or trade the pick.

If they trade the pick: They could go with pretty much anyone, as this team is old and could use youth everywhere. But if they do decide to trade the pick that means they are going to ride Peyton Manning for a couple years. So Matt Kalil would be the best option, as he can try to protect Manning's blind side. He hasn't had a security guard who is any good since Tarik Glenn retired.

2. Minnesota Vikings - OT Matt Kalil, USC. The Vikings would have an interesting dilemma here. Either Kalil or Justin Blackmon would fill a huge need for the Minnesota offense. I think it is much more difficult to find that franchise left tackle then a great receiver, so Kalil is the easy choice for me. Minnesota's offensive line is a disaster.

3. St. Louis Rams - WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St. The Rams will take whoever the Vikings don't here. They will also consider Morris Claiborne, but I don't think he is the prospect that Blackmon or Kalil are. He is also not the prospect that Patrick Peterson was, who went 5th overall last year. The Rams need to splurge for once. The team needs to start giving Sam Bradford some opportunity to succeed, and that begins with surrounding him with guys to throw to, and I don't mean white mid round draft pick receivers. Blackmon and Brandon Lloyd would instantly be one of the best starting receiver duos in the NFL.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars -CB Morris Claiborne, LSU. The Jaguars have needs all over the place and can pretty much take the best player available. Claiborne is the best cornerback prospect in the draft. Rashean Mathis is well into his 30's and there is little depth behind him. Interesting note though. If the current Jaguars GM was fired (I can't believe they actually extended him) I think the new regime would have had to think long and hard about taking Matt Barkley here. He is five times the prospect that Blaine Gabbert was, and Gabbert has looked absolutely hopeless thus far. That would be my pick, but I can't see Gene Smith admitting his mistake this early.5. Washington Redskins - QB Matt Barkley, USC. I am a huge Barkley fan. He has had a fantastic year for a team in turmoil, plays in a Pro Style offense and can make all the throws. I think he will wind up being a pretty good pro. Even someone as stubborn and odd as Mike Shanahan would have to sign off on this pick in about 2 seconds. He could help lead the Redskins to the playoffs as soon as next year.

6. Philadelphia Eagles - OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford. The Eagles are such a hard team for me to mock right now. They don't need Robert Griffin or Trent Richardson. I think this is still pretty early for any of the linebackers. They are very deep at end and don't need Quinton Coples. So they slightly reach for Martin here. He is probably a better fit at right tackle anyway and can slide right into the starting lineup. The Eagles offensive line is a disaster.

7. Carolina Panthers - DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina. This is a pretty easy pick. Due to process of elimination this is the only guy available at this pick who fills a huge need. The Panthers have gotten nothing out of anyone not named Charles Johnson this season. The last time they took a 6'6, 270 pound end out of Chapel Hill it worked well for them.

8. Miami Dolphins - QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor. If Griffin stays in school, he is the early pick to be the top player taken in 2013. As a Dolphins fan, I hope he strikes while the iron is hot, even though Miami is close to playing themselves out of this selection. Griffin is a very smart, athletic quarterback that should be a good pro.

9. Cleveland Browns - RB Trent Richardson, Oklahoma. I think Richardson is a top five talent in this draft, but no one below this pick really needs a running back. I would love to see the Browns actually take a chance and add a dynamic offensive talent. Peyton Hillis has predictably fallen off, and the other backs aren't a long term solution. Richardson would be a 20 carry per game back and take pressure off the rest of the anemic offense.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - MLB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona St. I still think Burfict is the best linebacker in this class, and it is a very good and deep one. Once the combines come along he should shine, and teams will probably look past his overrated "off the field" issues and mediocre 2011 season. The Bucs linebacker group is undersized and not that talented.

11. Arizona Cardinals - OT Riley Reiff, Iowa. I think taking Reiff is a pretty big reach here. He will probably be strictly a right tackle in the pros, and guys like that usually fall into the latter half of the first round. But the Cardinals have to reach, as their offensive line is just abysmal. Their investment, Kevin Kolb, is being beaten into submission.

12. Seattle Seahawks - QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma St. Jones better hope that the Seahawks take him, because if not he could fall out of the first round. He is the clear #4 quarterback prospect in the draft at this point, and this might be a reach for him. The other three guys picked ahead of him wouldn't have let their team be blown out 44-10. Add that to an already lengthy list of question marks and he could fall big time.

13. Buffalo Bills - WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina. Stevie Johnson is pretty talented but he's a doofus who has a knack for dropping passes in critical situations. He would be better off as a #2, and Jeffery can come in and do the dirty work for this receiving group. I think once the combines come up he will shoot back up into the top ten.14. Kansas City Chiefs - MLB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame. The Chiefs need to get bigger on defense if they are going to properly run the 4-3. Te'o is a tank but still has the speed to get to the outside.

15. San Diego Chargers - DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama. Larry English is officially a bust. The Chargers need to try to get some outside linebackers who can get to the quarterback.

16. New York Giants - OG David DeCastro, Stanford. I am tempted to put Lamar Miller here as a compliment to Ahmad Bradshaw, but I don't think the running backs will reach their full potential until the Giants fix their line, especially the interior.

17. Tennessee Titans - OLB Zach Brown, North Carolina. I have had middle linebackers mocked to the Titans all year, but the rookie Colin McCarthy has really come on lately and looks like the future at the position. Brown is the best of the classic 4-3 outside linebackers and would give the Titans a trio of young, very exciting players at the position.

18. New York Jets - WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame. Santonio Holmes is the only good receiver on the team. Floyd has the size and speed to be a great compliment.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders) - RB Lamar Miller, Miami. Miller has come on and established himself as a legit first round prospect. If the Bengals want to continue to develop an exciting, young defense, they need to replace the plodding Cedric Benson.

20. Detroit Lions - CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama. The Lions take the best player as they have the last few years, but fortunately for them it actually fills a need this time.

21. Chicago Bears - LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College. An absolute steal here, and someone most people think is the best linebacker prospect in the draft. He can play on the inside or outside, and will gobble up any tackle that is available.

23. Denver Broncos - DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson. Thompson hasn't put up huge numbers for the Tigers but has been the anchor for a very good defense this year. Is better at stopping the run then getting to the quarterback, but the Broncos need someone just like that.

24. Cincinnati Bengals - CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama. Is there any chance in the world that Jenkins does NOT end up on the Bengals? It's just just a pick trying to be cute either, the Bengals need to upgrade the spot opposite now injured Leon Hall.

25. Dallas Cowboys - OG Cordy Glenn, Georgia. Glenn is the best player available here that fills a need. The Cowboys continue to reshape their offensive line.

26. Houston Texans - WR Kendall Wright, Baylor. The one thing the Texans lack is a speedster to take some pressure off Andre Johnson. Wright is only 5'10, 190 but has had an amazing season for the Bears. He gets to stay in his home state.

27. Pittsburgh Steelers - MLB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama. No team is better at drafting future replacements then the Steelers. With James Farrior's career winding down, they draft his hopeful replacement.

28. San Francisco 49ers - S Mark Barron, Alabama. Another Crimson Tide defender off the board in the first round.

29. New England Patriots - CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia. Amazingly the Patriots still need secondary help, even though they have spent about 700 picks on the back field in recent years.

30. New Orleans Saints - DT Devon Still, Penn St. The Patriots need to go with best player available on defense here. Still has cooled off in recent weeks, but who can blame him with what has went on at Penn St.?

31. Baltimore Ravens - DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Florida St. I think Graham is too talented to fall out of the first round. The Ravens can play him at either end or linebacker in their hybrid defense.

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